A business venture...

You know, sometimes you just have to wonder. Some time ago, my little sister asked me if I would be willing to help her out. I listened. As the days went along, I found that it was a bit more than she initially said. I would be expected to take on this sort of business venture and make it my own. As I learned, I would have to sell products to “keep active” (not that I wanted to be active in the first place, I only wanted to help her.) As I learned more about this business venture, it turned out to be one of those pyramid business schemes where you recruit to boost your standing in the company. The new recruits would have to purchase a “Business Kit” because who can sell a product out of a catalog. I guess kind of a Tupperware party thing, where the hostess buys herself an inventory and can either sell her on hand stuff or order it for the customer. All the while trying to recruit new party consultants.

The company, of course promises “hot leads” when you recruit new people. Key word, “hot leads”. After being in sales, a Top Producer a couple of years straight mind you, I know as well as anyone, you can’t rely on someone else’s trickle down leads. If they were that great, they wouldn’t come to you anyway. It’s pure sales skills. You develop your own leads and develop your own style of networking. Whether it’s widgets, or in my case , real estate. It’s all the same. And what works great for the company is that the consultant must have the products on hand in order to sell them, thereby creating sales to the consultants being the primary customer. I learned a long time ago, a company that’s worth anything provides their product to the salesperson, not the other way around.

Anyway, I was just getting ready to convey my decision to my sister and I thought, hmm, I’ll just wait…to see if she follows up. (A key factor in anyone’s success at anything.) Follow up. Well, it’s been well over a month now and don’t you know I haven’t heard a word from her. Good thing I didn’t go forward and have her be my supervisor, having to rely on her for product or other stuff.

It’s kind of like the phone call. You know, you don’t hear from someone for over a year or so and then all of a sudden, you get a call. They didn’t have your phone number. Makes you wonder. I guess I’ve always been cautious and willing to wait a situation out. Just to see the whole picture.

Need less to say, family members should never go into business together. My father once went into a venture with a brother-in-law and as I recall, that didn’t work out to the best either. I should have known better when the first call came through. I mean, I’d love to help, if that’s what it is.